


As Roots Break the Stone

by imaginary_golux



Series: Fractured Fairy Tales [16]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 09:33:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11529498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux
Summary: The prince's heart has been turned to stone in his chest, and only one who is truly suited to rule beside him will be able to venture into the forest and restore his heart to him.An attempt at a semi-original fairy tale, with the always-necessary happy ending.





	As Roots Break the Stone

Once there was, in a fair green land, a queen so wise and kind and generous, so clever and brave and devoted to her subjects, that all her people loved her. And this queen had one son, named Finn, who was as lovely as the dawn breaking, and who bid fair to be his mother’s equal in all of her virtues; so the queen knew well that she would be leaving her kingdom in good keeping when at last she went to her rest. But she had one worry, which was that he might marry someone who would not be a good spouse to him and a good ruler to his country; and so at last she went to the three fairies who had stood godparent to her son, and laid the problem before them. So it was that on his eighteenth birthday the young prince rose to find that his heart had vanished from out his chest, leaving only a cold stone in its place; and his mother the queen proclaimed that the person who should win the heart from those who guarded it in the center of the royal forest should have the prince’s hand as well, and rule at his side. But any person who should try and fail to win the heart should lose their own heart, too, and bear nothing but a cold stone within their breast.

Now there were many and many young men and women who wished to win the prince’s heart and hand and reign beside him, and as time went by there were many who went into the royal forest with their courage held in both hands; but each and all they returned with cold stones where their hearts should be, bearing tales of cruel old fairies within the forest who had cursed them and barred their way. 

Now the queen’s palace had very magnificent gardens, which were in the charge of a loyal and devoted man who had three children. His elder children were very beautiful and were inclined to be proud, for they thought that their beauty and their familiarity with the palace was likely to win them noble spouses; but the youngest daughter was quite plain, and very sweet-natured, and so her siblings would tease and torment her, saying she would never be anything but a gardener like her father, and would have to serve them when they were raised to high estate; but as she was so sweet-natured, she never gave any reply to this but that she would be quite content to be a gardener, and to serve her siblings, should the world turn in such a manner.

After a few years, the number of men and women who were willing to go in search of the prince’s heart had dwindled, because all who had gone before had failed; but when the gardener’s eldest child, who was named Hux, turned twenty-one, he bethought him that he had no suitors as yet, and decided that this was a sign that he should be the one to win the prince’s heart and hand and reign beside him. So he took up his courage in both hands and set his path into the royal forest, and walked for many hours; and at last as it began to grow dark he came upon a little cottage beside the path.

Up he went to the cottage and opened the door, and found within an old Togruta woman tending the fire, with her lekku so long they trailed almost on the ground beside her. “Old woman,” he said unto her, “give me hearth-space and food for the night, for I am hungry and weary.”

“Very well,” said the old Togruta woman, and the eldest child took a place upon the hearth, and ate up all the food that sat upon the table. Then the old woman said, “If you would venture further into the forest, you must first answer my riddles.”

“Riddle then,” said Hux.

“Cut off my head and I thrive, cut off my feet and I die. What am I?” asked the old woman.

“Nothing in this world,” snapped Hux.

“Ah,” said the old woman, “I see you are too wise for my riddles. Sleep, then, and in the morning go your way.”

So Hux slept, but when he woke in the morning, he was alone in the forest with no cottage around him, and in his breast lay heavy a cold stone; so he went his way home with much lamenting, and cursed his fate, and would not be consoled.

When he had told all to her sisters, the middle sister, whose name was Phasma, said, “You are a fool! I shall go and answer the witch’s riddles, and win the prince’s heart and hand and reign beside him.” So she took her courage in both hands and set her path into the royal forest, and walked for many hours; and at last as it began to grow dark she came upon a little cottage beside the path.

Up she went to the cottage and opened the door, and found within an old Togruta woman tending the fire. “Old woman,” she said unto her, “give me hearth-space and food for the night, for I am hungry and weary.”

“Very well,” said the old woman, and Phasma took a place upon the hearth, and ate up all the food that sat upon the table. Then the old woman said, “If you would venture further into the forest, you must first answer my riddles.”

“Ask then,” said Phasma, “and I shall answer them.”

“Cut off my head and I thrive, cut off my feet and I die. What am I?” asked the old woman.

“A tree,” said Phasma, “which cannot live without its roots; and when I am queen I shall never plant one again.”

“Hoddy doddy with a round black body, three feet and a wooden hat - what’s that?” asked the old woman.

“An iron pot,” the middle sister snapped, “and when I am queen I shall never cook with one again.”

“What the Force never sees, the king seldom sees, and you see every day - read my riddle, I pray,” asked the old woman.

Then Phasma scowled as black as pitch and said, “An equal, and when I am queen I shall have none!”

“Very well, you have answered,” said the old woman. “Sleep, then, and in the morning go your way.”

So the middle sister slept, and when she woke in the morning she was alone in the middle of the forest, with no cottage to be found; but there was a thin path going further in, half-covered in brambles and thorns, and so she set her feet upon it and went on all day, much scratched and buffeted by the branches, until near dark she came upon a cottage.

Up she went to the cottage and opened the door, and found within a grey-bearded man tending the fire, who was even older than the first fairy. “Old man,” she said unto him, “give me hearth-space and food for the night, for I am hungry and weary.”

“Very well,” said the ancient man, “but first you must draw water from my well, for else we shall have none.”

So Phasma went to the well beside the door and drew up a bucket of water, thinking always that when she was queen, she would have servants to draw her water for her, and do all else as she desired; and she drank of the water, but the water was as bitter as aloes. “Your water has gone foul, old man,” she said, and cast the bucket back into the well, and sat down beside the hearth in great dudgeon.

“Not so foul as you are,” said the grey-bearded man, and all of a moment the cottage and all within it vanished, and Phasma found herself in the middle of the forest with a cold stone in her breast where her heart should lie, and a miserable night she spent waiting for the dawn, and a miserable way she wended homewards when it came.

So she came home battered and torn by the thornbushes, and cursed her fate and the fairies who had not aided her, and would not be consoled.

And at last the youngest sister, whose name was Rey, grew weary of the endless lamenting, and thought to herself that even if her brother and sister had failed, well, she was as brave and as clever as they, and moreover she loved the prince with all her warm heart, and had since they were children together; and so the next morning when she had made the bread and tidied the house, she took her courage in both hands and set her path for the royal forest, and walked for many hours; and at last as it began to grow dark she came upon a little cottage beside the path.

Up she went to the cottage and knocked upon the door, and at once there came a voice from within that said, “Enter, and be welcome!”

So she opened the door and entered, and found an old Togruta woman sitting beside the fire, and curtsied to her, and said, “Grandmother, by your courtesy, grant me house-room for the night, for I am weary with long journeying.”

“Come and sit by me, and eat, and warm yourself at my fire, granddaughter,” said the old woman, and so the youngest sister did, leaving the larger half for her hostess. And then the old woman said, “If you would venture further into the forest, you must first answer my riddles.”

“Ask, and I shall answer as best I may, grandmother,” said Rey.

“Cut off my head and I thrive, cut off my feet and I die; what am I?” asked the old woman.

“You are a tree, which cannot live without its roots, but thrives on trimming,” said Rey.

“The cuckoo and the gowk, the laverock and the lark, the twire-snipe, the weather-bleak: how many birds have I?” asked the old woman.

“Three,” said Rey, “for the country-folk call the cuckoo a gowk, and the lark a laverock, and the twire-snipe a weather-bleak; so that is only three.”

“There was a little green house, and in the little green house there was a little brown house, and in the little brown house there was a little yellow house, and in the little yellow house there was a little white house, and in the little white house there was a little heart - what is it?” asked the old woman.

“Why, a walnut with all its layers,” said Rey.

“You have answered very well,” said the old Togruta woman. “Sleep, then, and in the morning you shall find your way.”

“I thank you, grandmother,” said Rey, and fell into a deep sleep upon the hearth; and in the morning when she woke, she found the cottage still standing about her, and the old woman asleep in the truckle bed, and so she tended the fire and tidied the cottage and left all in readiness for her hostess, and when she stepped out of the cottage she found a broad path leading away into the forest, as clean and clear as if it had been made only the night before, and she set her feet upon it and followed it at once.

She traveled all that day, and when it began to grow dark, she came upon a cottage. Up she went to the cottage, and knocked upon the door, and at once there came a voice from within that said, “Enter, and be welcome!”

So she opened the door and entered, and found a very old grey-bearded man sitting by the fire, and curtsied to him, and said, “Grandfather, by your courtesy, grant me house-room for the night, for I am weary with long journeying.”

“Gladly will I, but first you must draw water from my well, or else we shall have none, granddaughter,” said the very old man.

“Gladly will I do so,” said Rey, and went at once to draw water from the well beside the door, and having drawn up a bucket brought it at once to her host, who drank a dipper full and then said, “Drink, granddaughter, to your health and fortune.”

“And to yours,” said Rey, and drank of the water, thinking that it would be the greatest of good fortune if she should win through to the prince’s heart, for she remembered playing with him when they were children together, and she loved him well, though he had grown cold and grand with the cold stone within his breast; and the water was as sweet as honey.

“You have a fine well, grandfather,” the youngest sister said

“Not so fine as you are,” said the very old man, and bade her eat of the meal made ready; and so Rey did, leaving the larger half for her host. Then the ancient man said, “Sleep, then, and in the morning you shall find your way.”

“I thank you, grandfather,” said Rey, and fell into a deep sleep upon the hearth; and in the morning when she woke, she found the cottage still standing about her, and the very old man asleep in the truckle bed, and so she drew water and tended the fire and tidied the cottage and left all in readiness for her host, and when she stepped out of the cottage she found a broad path leading away into the forest, as clean and clear as if it had been made only the night before, and she set her feet upon it and followed it at once.

She traveled all that day, and when it began to grow dark, she came upon a cottage. Up she went to the cottage, and knocked upon the door, and at once there came a voice from within that said, “Enter, and be welcome!”

So she opened the door and entered, and found an ancient human woman sitting by the fire, whose grey hair was so elegantly and beautifully braided as to look like a crown the equal of any queen’s, and curtsied to her, and said, “Grandmother, by your courtesy, grant me house-room for the night, for I am weary with long journeying.”

“Come and sit by me, and eat, and warm yourself at my fire, granddaughter,” said the ancient woman, and so Rey did, leaving the larger half for her hostess. And then the ancient woman said, “Sleep you tonight beside my fire, and tomorrow you shall see if the prince’s heart shall be thine.”

“I thank you, grandmother,” said the youngest sister, and fell into a deep sleep upon the hearth; and in the morning when she woke, she found the cottage still standing about her, and the ancient woman asleep in the truckle bed, and so she drew water and tended the fire and tidied the cottage and put all in readiness. At last the ancient woman awoke, and broke bread with her, and when they had eaten she led the youngest sister to a door in the wall, and brought her through it into a great room, larger by far than the cottage could have held, in which there stood an enormous set of brass scales, and beneath each tray there boiled a pot of oil large enough to hold three men at least. Upon the right-hand scale there was a single casket of iron, as large as a barrel; and upon the left-hand scale, there were thrice a dozen caskets of wood, each only as big as two fists; and the scales were perfectly balanced, and there was a ladder leading up to the right-hand scale.

Then the ancient woman said, “Granddaughter, you have a choice. You may go up the ladder and take the prince’s heart from the iron casket, and bear it homewards; but as the scales are so perfectly balanced, all of the other hearts, which are those of the people who have failed our tests, will fall into the oil. Or you may step upon the scale beside the iron casket, and hand the prince’s heart out to me, and preserve the hearts upon the other scale from destruction, but you yourself will surely fall into the oil below.”

“Then there is but one choice truly open,” said Rey, and stepped boldly upon the ladder until she reached the right-hand scale, and stepped out onto its surface, and took from the iron casket the prince’s heart, and handed it out to the ancient woman. And then the scale slipped below the surface of the boiling oil, and bore her with it into the depths of the pot.

Then all at once the second pot of oil vanished entirely, and the scale bearing the youngest sister rose again from the oil, and Rey stood upon it whole and unscathed, and ten times more beautiful than she had been, so that she outshone the very stars for loveliness; and at once the ancient woman took her by the hand and brought her down the ladder to the ground, and kissed her cheeks, and made much of her.

“Truly you are she we have been seeking,” said the ancient woman at last, “for my siblings have tested you in cleverness and courtesy, in courage and in love; and I have tested you in duty; and in no wise have you been found lacking. Truly you are fit to win the prince’s heart and hand and reign beside him all his days.” Then she brought forward a dress as beautiful as the summer sun, and clothed the youngest sister in it, and presented to her a carriage drawn by a horse as white as snow, and gave to her the prince’s heart to bear in her hands, and sent her back through the forest.

And when the youngest sister arrived at last at the palace, she found the queen and the prince and all the folk of the royal city awaiting her, and alighting from the carriage she presented the heart to the prince; and as soon as he laid his hand upon it, it returned at once to its accustomed place within his breast, and at the same moment all those people who had borne cold stones in their breasts received again their hearts, so that the whole city was filled with rejoicing. Then Prince Finn said to his savior Rey, “As you have won my heart, so you have won my hand; come, and be my wife, and reign beside me all my days as my queen.”

“Gladly shall I,” said Rey, and that very day they were wed before the queen and all her court, and when the queen at last was called from her throne by that tyrant monarch, Old Age, the prince and his wife became the king and queen, and for many years they ruled wisely and well, loving and beloved; and for all I know, they are ruling there still.

**Author's Note:**

> I am imaginarygolux on tumblr - drop on by!


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